Quote:
Originally Posted by kittygilchrist
I'd like to be able to travel more, but leaving my dog is very difficult.
I posted this to invite the opinions and thoughts of others.
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We boarded our two dogs at a boarding facility while we took a ten-day Mediterranean cruise in 2011. Prior to the trip, we looked at several facilities and met the owners. This one was highly recommended by a multitude of people. We did try the facility for an over night prior to the cruise time, and the dogs were fine.
Our two dogs shared their own private, roomy living quarters with walls, and two comfy beds. They had an outside patio overlooking the dog play area. So when they weren't out playing themselves, they could be entertained by other dogs playing. They also had a 24 hour television in their room which played dog videos. This boarding facility had no wire fences and was the most highly rated facility in our area. The owners were wonderful, caring people.
Our 70 lb Lollipop was glad to see us when we picked the dogs up, but she was just fine. (She was a rescue that had four homes before we adopted her). BUT our 10 lb Biggins was a basket case. He was 11 years old at the time. Despite the fact that the girls who worked at the facility carried him around for hours every day, he lost weight, and when we picked him up, he was quivering and extremely anxious. After the cruise, he developed a tumor in his mouth, which required two separate surgeries. I think the tumor could have been activated by all the stress he was feeling. To this day, he still suffers from extreme anxiety.
I realize that all this agonizing about the well being of pets is absurd to anyone who isn't a true pet lover. But for us, it's a real concern. The next time we travel, we intend to leave the dogs in our home, in familiar surroundings, with a live-in care giver. And we will try a short trip first, and then a bit longer, just to make sure the dogs are OK.